We might fall
by ncis-lady
Summary: Tauriel has risked everything for a stranger with kind eyes, dark and mysterious as the forest of Mirkwood and at the same time sparkling like the frosty mountain top beneath the moon. And now she needs to see him one last time. Slightly AU-ish version of one night shortly before the Battle of Five Armies. Kiliel. M for probably mature content in later chapter.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone, this is just a little something that came to my mind a while ago when I first heard the song "We might fall" by Ryan Star. It just screamed Kiliel! In my headcanon, Tauriel leaves Kíli in Laketown after Smaug's attack. Although she acknowledges her feelings for him, she can't be with him, kissing him on the docks of Laketown before returning to Mirkwood (penultimate chapter of "Starlit Skies"). You should know that when you read this.

This was planned as a one-shot, but as always, the story took on a course of its own. It's not quite finished yet, just a few more paragraphs to go. But in celebration of today's premiere of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies I thought I'd share the first part with you. The rest will be posted as two seperate chapters, I think.

Lyrics (in italics) are from "We might fall" by Ryan Star.

M rated to be on the safe side when it comes to the ending ;)

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**We might fall**

**1\. Nothing I have ever known has made me feel this way**

The night was cold. Tiny snowflakes were dancing in the pale light of the moon as Tauriel stood with her gaze set on the huge shape of the Lonely Mountain. She had never cared much for mountains, for the cold rocks which were always covered with snow on the top. She loved the forest, the soft grass beneath her feet and the way she could see the stars peering through the trees.

But now her heart ached in a way she had never felt before when her eyes perceived the crooked top of Erebor.

Around her elven warriors were preparing for battle, gathering their weapons and waiting for orders from their king. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered King Thranduil's fury at her return. He hadn't even needed to yell. He had spoken quietly, but every word had gone through her like a dagger. He had accused her of leaving her post, of defying his orders and setting the well-being of a simple dwarf above the safety of her own people.

Tauriel hadn't even tried to argue, for there was some truth in his words after all. She _did_ care, cared too much, and she didn't feel ashamed.

She had risked her position in the elven guard, her king's respect and her friend's trust for someone she barely knew. A stranger with kind eyes, dark and mysterious as the forest of Mirkwood and at the same time sparkling like the frosty mountain top beneath the moon. So different from her, but with a heart as fierce and brave as hers and dreams not unlike her own.

Kíli.

She repeated the name in her head. Just a few nights ago she hadn't even known he existed. But now her heart yearned to see him again, and if there was anything she regretted it was leaving him on the docks of Lake-town without telling him of what stirred her troubled heart. She needed to know if he was alright.

She knew she ought to stay. But Tauriel had never been the most reasonable person, something her male comrades had sometimes scolded her for. The heart of an elven warrior offered no space for emotions like hers. Emotions made you weak in battle. And a battle was ahead.

It never should have come to this, Tauriel thought in despair. If she had known, she wouldn't have let him go like that. But there was still time. Taking a deep breath, the young elf tucked her dagger into her belt. She glanced around quickly to her left and right, and exhaled when she saw her comrades busying themselves with battle preparations, and taking no notice of her.

Her step was light on the earthen ground as she made for the mountain. She didn't even know what to do when she'd reach it. The gate was barricaded and most likely to be guarded. If there were any other entrances they were most probably hidden, visible only to those worthy of Erebor's treasures, which certainly didn't mean elves.

She'd cross that bridge when she'd come to it.

Silently Tauriel walked until she'd left the tents behind. Before her was a wide open plain, illuminated by the moon. She would be easy to spot there. A little to the left, though, was a small forest, not wide, but reaching almost all the way to the mountain. She headed for the tree line and quickened her pace.

"Where are you going?"

She froze mid-movement for a split second before she turned around, hand on the hilt of her dagger. It was an unnecessary precaution. There was only one elf standing before her, and that one wouldn't hurt her.

"Legolas," she spoke softly, taking in his tall, slender figure and the movement of his flawless blonde hair as he approached her with three long strides.

"We're on the brink of war, you can't go off wandering like that," the elven prince said with barely hidden concern. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Tauriel could see understanding washing over her friend's handsome face.

"Don't hold me back," she said quietly, but with determination. "I need to go."

"It's him, isn't it? The archer?"

Tauriel wasn't sure about what she found in Legolas' voice. There was a strange timbre to it, a mixture of disappointment, anger, a hint of understanding and the tiniest bit of sadness. She simply nodded.

It was foolish. Reckless. Part of her expected Legolas to order her to stay. She just didn't know what she'd do if he did. He was the king's son, after all, and she was of lower rank than him. She had risked her position once before, and she was certain that Thranduil wouldn't forgive her again.

The small voice in the back of her head told her that she shouldn't care.

Legolas eyed her for a moment. To her surprise, his lips formed a barely visible smile. It was a sad smile, though, that was mirrored by his voice.

"Do what you need to, Tauriel. But be careful. It's dangerous to go that road, and I won't always be there to aid you."

Tauriel knew he wasn't referring to the forest. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realised how much her friend had done for her in the past, and that Thranduil's forgiveness probably hadn't come without a little nudge from his son. Without thinking the redhead pulled the older one into a tight embrace.

"I will be careful, I promise. Guren glassui, mellon-nin."

When they parted it seemed as if Legolas wanted to say more, but he remained silent. He turned around and soon mingled with the darkness, leaving Tauriel alone at the edge of the forest. She entered it cautiously and allowed her eyes to adjust to the darker surroundings. The light of the moon still found its way through the treetops, but some places were completely black from the absence of light. It was different from Mirkwood, not only because of its lesser size, but mostly because of its smell. There was the freshness of living plants, the typical smell of dew on leaves, and strange fragrances from unknown flowers hidden from her eyes. Tauriel hadn't expected to find it like this, in the midst of the dragon's desolation. She inhaled deeply and for a moment felt all troubles leaving her mind.

A cracking sound startled her. Immediately Tauriel turned around to face the source of the noise, dagger raised in alarm.

"Woah, easy there!"

She froze. That voice. That subliminal grin that was audible in his tone, the way he seemed to be stifling a laugh – she would recognise it anywhere.

"Kíli?"

He appeared out of nowhere, coming out from between the trees, barely visible in the dark. He stopped only a few feet from her, and Tauriel thought she could see his eyes glinting as what little light found its way through the leaves was mirrored in his irises. Suddenly she found it hard to breathe. Everything that had happened during the past days seemed to crash around her, every moment of fear, every unspoken truth, every desperate wish to slow down time.

"What are you doing here?" she heard him ask with the slightest of quivers in his usually steady voice. "You shouldn't be out here on your own."

"Right back at you."

The words left her mouth before she had a chance to think about what to say. Tauriel could hear him chuckle for a second or two, before they were surrounded by silence. The young elf thought she could hear her heart hammering in her chest, and she wondered if Kíli felt the same way.

"I had to get away," the dwarf said quietly. "I had to get away from it all, and clear that mess in my head before it's too late. I needed to breathe some fresh air and feel free again and maybe, just maybe, find out if you're alright."

The last words were carried away by a breeze; they vanished in the cold night air but still tore at Tauriel's heart. The two young people were still standing apart, both almost invisible to each other, though Tauriel felt closer to the dark-haired archer than to anyone before. Her mind was suddenly blank, all reason gone when she stepped forward. Only a few feet, but they felt like miles until she felt Kíli's strong arms around her. She could feel the cold leather of his coat underneath her fingers as she allowed him to press her against his body. His chest was heaving against her ribcage as she lowered her head and buried her nose in the crook of his neck.

"I'm alright now," she whispered, and although her words were muffled by his cloak she thought she could see Kíli smiling at her response. She was reminded of their last goodbye at the docks of Laketown, but this was different, so different from that day. This was no goodbye. Not yet.

_Tell me are we crazy, did you like the cold  
Tell me are you comfortable if comfortable at all_

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A/N1: The title is a line from a Bryan Adams song, "Nothing I've ever known" from the Spirit soundtrack._  
_

A/N2: Reviews make my day ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much for reviewing, following and favouriting (is that a word?) this story. It was so much fun to write Kiliel again, although of course I will return to Fíli eventually. (I swear, after BOFA I will only write fluffy happily-ever-after AU's for all of them... then again, who am I kidding?)

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**2\. Tomorrow may be raining, but tonight we have the stars**

"I should never have let you go like that," Kíli mumbled hoarsely. "Mahal knows I should have –"

She never knew what he should have done.

Without thinking she kissed him on the mouth, just like then, but oh so differently. He responded immediately, cupping her face in both hands as her lips parted slightly. It wasn't a gentle kiss, none like the stolen kisses she had shared with some of the elven guards of her legion, innocent and meaningless behind stone pillars down in the halls. This was passionate and hungry and desperate, and pure bliss that made her forget everything around her. She pulled him a little closer, feeling her fingers getting entangled in his thick mane of unruly hair, and his hands on her hips kindled a fire in her that took her breath away. The small hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a soft winter chill touched her skin, and she shuddered involuntarily. Only then they parted, and for a moment they just stood breathlessly before each other, their gazes locked as they searched in each other's eyes for the answers to questions they hadn't known existed.

"Tauriel," Kíli breathed raspily, squeezing her hand. "Oh by the Valar, let us just stay here and leave this nonsense of war and gold to others, aye?"

A sad smile tugged at Tauriel's lips as Kíli's words catapulted her back into reality.

"There will be war, won't it?" she asked quietly. The mountain was under siege, and she knew her king was determined to see it through. "Is there nothing to change your uncle's mind?"

"My uncle isn't himself lately," Kíli said, and Tauriel was close enough to see him press his lips to a thin line as he narrowed his eyes. "He cares only about the Arkenstone, and sometimes I feel like he doesn't even recognise his friends. Or his kin. He is obsessed, Tauriel, and I fear that he is losing his mind."

"I'm sure he will see sense soon enough."

"He hurt Fíli."

Tauriel couldn't stifle the gasp that escaped her lips, and she brought her hand up to her mouth and stared at Kíli in horror.

"What did he do?"

Kíli sighed, a turmoil of emotions flickering over his face as it was illuminated by the light of the moon. Tauriel could see the dark circles around his eyes and the worry reflected from his brown irises. Part of it was surely a remainder of his sickness caused by the Morgul arrow. But there was more to it, as she now realised.

"Thorin lost it two days ago when he overheard Fíli and Balin discussing a diplomatic way out of this mess." Kíli motioned vaguely in the direction of Thranduil's and Bard's troops. "He flew into a rage and accused them of conspiring against him. Went straight at Balin, he did. Fíli stepped in his way."

The young dwarf choked visibly, but smiled a little when he seemed to notice the fear that Tauriel was unable to hide. She had gotten to know Fíli, Kíli's golden-haired, protective brother, and she had liked him a lot. He had made her wish she hadn't grown up as an only child.

"Don't worry, he only knocked him down, nothing life-threatening. Fíli's skull is as thick as the Arkenstone itself, I daresay." He winked at her, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes and there was an unusual tremor in his voice. He blinked twice before he focused on Tauriel again.

Wordlessly she pulled him close. He breathed raggedly in her arms, and she pressed her lips against his forehead like she had seen his brother do it back in Bard's house when Kíli had still been lost in delirium. She knew he tried his hardest not to show her how the changes in his uncle scared him.

All of a sudden Kíli tugged at her hand. Their eyes met, and Tauriel could feel herself being drawn towards him, spiralling further into the nothingness as she lost herself in his deep gaze.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" the young dwarf asked timidly. Had it been someone else, in another place or time, she would have been taken aback. But his voice had lost all of its cheeky tone that it had had back in the dungeons of Mirkwood, when she had refused to search him. He had changed a lot since then, she understood. They both had. Then again, they were still the same, with the same dreams and wishes, and it was the world around them that had changed without them noticing.

"There's no one I'd rather spend the night with," Tauriel answered quietly. She was surprised by the rawness of her own voice.

Kíli's hand took hers lightly, and she followed him as he led her deeper into the forest. She knew it was crazy. She barely knew that dwarf, and the last thing she ought to do was joining him without hesitation. But deep inside, she knew that he was no stranger. Not anymore. And probably he had never been. There had been something between them, a connection formed in another life, that she had found the very moment he had lost his rune stone and made her lose her heart to a dwarf.

The forest was silent. Only their footsteps on the soft forest ground could be heard if one strained his ears.

They hadn't walked far when Kíli abruptly stopped, causing Tauriel to bump into him and almost knock him over. She laughed as he stumbled, then stifled her laughter quickly when she realised that his wounded leg was still mending. He didn't seem to care, though. He turned around and faced her, a soft smile on his lips.

"What do you think?"

Tauriel looked over his shoulder and her eyes widened. They were in the middle of a small clearing, and the moonlight illuminated it perfectly. Tauriel lifted her head and gazed at the pitch-black sky. Stars were strewn across the firmament, and just in that moment a shooting star fell to earth. A strange sensation erupted in her chest, a feeling like returning to a familiar place she had deemed lost long ago.

"It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen," she said, and it was the truth.

"That's what I thought. Me and Fíli discovered it a few days ago when we went hunting."

The sparkle in Kíli's eyes rivalled that of the stars above. He laid one hand onto her waist, while he enclosed her right hand with the fingers of his left. He pulled her closer and raised his chin, bringing his lips to her ear.

"Dance with me," he murmured.

She could feel his breath just behind her lobe. It made her shudder and sparked a fire at the same time, and she closed her eyes for a split second. She wasn't supposed to feel this way. But her body told her differently, because it knew things she had never known and that still felt so right.

Tauriel didn't speak, for she knew her voice would betray her. Instead she allowed Kíli to guide her, and they swayed back and forth in the light of the moon. Suddenly she heard a voice, and it took her a moment to realise that it was Kíli's. He was singing quietly in a foreign language, which had to be that of his own people, and to Tauriel it seemed like a rare privilege to be part of this rather intimate song. She didn't understand the words, but still there was something about the song that tugged at her heart. She rested her chin on Kíli's shoulder as his voice faded and their feet slowed on their own accord. Silence embraced them, and Tauriel thought she could hear her heart hammering in her chest. She brought one hand onto Kíli's chest, feeling his heartbeat through his layers of clothing, and she wondered how it was possible that everything she had done in life had led her to that moment. There was something magical in the air, as if the world itself drifted away and led the way to some other life in another place.

Her breath caught in her throat when Kíli gently took her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. His mouth grazed her skin only slightly, but still it was enough to make her shudder in the most delightful way. It was pure instinct that made her lower her head and putting her lips onto his again. It was a gentle kiss, tender and slow as if they had all the time in the world. And maybe they had. Time seemed to stand still as she felt Kíli pulling her closer until her body was pressed against his completely. His chest was heaving heavily against hers, and he moaned quietly when Tauriel let her tongue slip between his lips. The sound seemed to liquefy Tauriel's insides, as if they were touched by the white burning flame of a forge and molten in the process. She intensified their kiss, closing her eyes in delight, and she brought one hand up to Kíli's neck and felt the dampness underneath his thick hair.

They sank down until their knees hit the soft, cold forest floor. They were almost on eyelevel now, which Tauriel noticed when she pulled away breathlessly and gazed deeply into Kíli's mesmerising dark eyes. His cheeks were flushed a little and she could tell by the heat of her face that she was looking just the same. Her fingers were trembling slightly, feeling for the metal clasps that kept the young dwarf's coat closed, and she heard Kíli inhale sharply.

"What are we doing, Tauriel?" he whispered with a shaky voice, keeping his gaze locked with hers, and she stilled her hands. "I feel like I don't know who I am anymore, like I don't know what's wrong or right and at the same time I'm sure, deep down, that I've never been more right in all my life."

The elf's eyes started to sting at his honesty. The words sounded so familiar, although she had never said them aloud.

"I don't know," she replied quietly. "I've lived sixhundred years and still I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with the way I feel. About my life, about the way I was raised... about you," she ended almost soundlessly.

Gently Kíli ran a thumb down her cheek, trailing the tear that had left its silvery mark on her skin. Tauriel bit her lip and pressed her eyes shut for a moment. She wasn't used to feeling like this. So weak, so vulnerable. She was a warrior, raised to be strong and undefeatable, and to never let her emotions get in the way of her actions. She had a notion that the nephews of Thorin Oakenshield had been raised quite similarly, and she wondered if maybe elves and dwarves weren't so different after all. Proud and strong and protective of those they loved, born fighters until the end.

She didn't resist as Kíli lay down on the soft grass and pulled her carefully with him. They came to rest side by side, with Tauriel's head supported by Kíli's upper arm as they stared at the black sky above. She felt the young dwarf playing with a strand of her hair, and with her right hand she squeezed his lightly. She raised her left hand and pointed upwards.

"Do you see these seven stars up there?"

"Aye."

"It is Valacirca. Varda herself created these stars and set them in the sky as a warning to Melkor. To my people it is a symbol of hope. It is my favourite constellation of all the stars," she confessed. "I think it's because it reminds me that people have defeated evil before, and that they can do it again."

She turned her head and saw Kíli smiling fondly.

"We call it Durin's Crown. It's a symbol of my ancestor. Seven stars for the seven fathers of the dwarves, that were first created by Mahal, long before elves and men treaded this earth."

He spoke with a dreamy voice, as if recalling a story told to him a long time ago. Tauriel knew about the creation of the dwarves, of course, although her own people often tried to forget the fact that the dwarves had indeed been the first creations, before Ilúvatar awakened the elves. She had never known, though, about the connection between her stars and the history of the small folk.

"Isn't it curious how we all see the same stars, the same moon?" she pondered. "We always think that we're so different from each other, and all races see themselves as superior to the rest, but in the eye of the universe were are all small and insignificant. Sometimes I find it strangely comforting to know that the whole of Arda will be constant, despite everything we do here in this small spot that's Middle-earth. Does that make sense?"

Kíli eyed her with wonder written all over his face. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, obviously taking his time to answer.

"It does make sense, I guess. But you are wrong in one point."

"What's that?"

"You are not insignificant. None of us is. We may be insignificant for the eternity that is Arda, but we mean something to those we love. That's what keeps us going, keeps us fighting, despite everything. It's what makes us who we are."

Tauriel let those words sink in. Wise words for such a young dwarf, she though, and it only confirmed her impression of Kíli. It also made her wonder how often he'd had to fight for those he loved.

She didn't dare think about how many more times he'd do it.

_Lying on the grass now, dancing for the stars  
Maybe one will look on down and tell us who we are_

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A/N 1: The title is a line from the song "Tonight we have the stars" by Bryan Adams. Did I mention that I love him? My childhood hero, both my parents love(d) his music, and I'm still mad at my dad for going to a concert without telling me LOL

A/N 2: Tauriel's age is taken from the LotR wiki.

A/N 3: I will post the next (last) chapter on Thursday. Reviews, anyone? ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much for your great response to the last chapter! This is the last one, and I hope you like it.

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**3\. Remember what I told you – this could set our hearts on fire**

Tauriel rolled herself onto her side, laying her left hand onto Kíli's chest, and took in the features of his face. He had been through so much already. Only the stubble on his cheeks and chin reminded her that he was actually still a youth. Of course it was still more of a beard than any of her elven friends had, and she couldn't help being fascinated. Absent-mindedly she ran a finger over his jaw and grinned when his lips curled to a soft smile.

"Aren't dwarves supposed to have longer beards?" she teased him. She shrieked quietly when Kíli poked her in the ribs and looked at her with an offended expression on his face.

"Must you hurt my feelings like that?" he sighed, putting his hand to his heart in an overly dramatic gesture, which didn't help to stifle Tauriel's laughter. Kíli quickly became serious again. "It doesn't look very dwarvish, aye. But my attempts at growing a decent beard never ended well for me, it looks rather ridiculous, something my dear brother never forgets to remind me of." He grinned a little sourly, but Tauriel knew that if there was any person in the world he'd forgive mocking words, it would be Fíli. "And since a beard often gets in the way when pulling the bowstring, I decided I'd just leave it short. At least now every lass can swoon over my dashingly handsome face," he added with a cheeky grin which intensified when Tauriel punched him not too gently.

"Every lass? You're quite full of yourself, aren't you? Do you see me swooning?"

"You're not like the others," Kíli said, with unhidden admiration in his voice. There was something else which Tauriel couldn't quite determine.

Instead of commenting on it, she leaned over. Her lips found his, and without thinking she pulled him closer, allowing him to rest on top of her with her hips between his knees. His hair hung low and tickled her face. It made her shudder. Kíli retreated immediately, eyeing her questioningly, but she just smiled and pushed a strand of his hair behind his ear. The young dwarf bent his head and kissed her tenderly on the neck, just below her ear lobe, and his fingers entwined with hers as his lips continued their course down to her collarbone. Tauriel gasped quietly and closed her eyes. She could feel the heat building up in her body, and it was a feeling that was strange and yet seemed right. She had been with male elves before, but this was different.

Maybe it was the thrill of him being a dwarf, of doing something forbidden, and of the battle that was upon them. But most of all it was the intimate connection between them which she had first felt when his fingers had grazed hers ever so lightly when she'd returned his rune stone.

She cupped Kíli's face in her hands, and as their gazes locked Tauriel knew that he understood what she couldn't say. Above them the stars were twinkling, the air was clear and frosty, but none of that mattered to the two people on the ground. Dwarves and elves didn't feel the cold like humans did, and Tauriel thought that the warmth surrounding them was more than enough to make her feel comfortable anyway. She was breathing heavily now, again feeling for the metal claps with shaking fingers. This time Kíli didn't speak.

Her hands found their way underneath his shirt. His skin was radiating heat like a furnace, and through her fingertips it was transmitted onto her, causing the fire within to spark up. Kíli grabbed her wrist with his left hand and leaned down to kiss her again, and she kissed him back hungrily, moaning under her breath as his other hand came to rest on the neckline of her uniform. He undid the leather strings with ease, then stilled his hand and gazed deeply at her. Love and longing were both mirrored in his irises as he watched her with slightly parted lips.

"Mahal, you're perfect," he breathed.

His voice was raw and low, and it made Tauriel's heart beat faster to hear him speak to her as if she was the only one in the world to him. He kissed her again, more fiercely than before, and Tauriel moaned softly when he bit her lower lip accidentally. She could see Kíli smiling before he lowered his head and began to move down, his lips leaving a moist trail down her breastbone. It was cold where his lips had been and her skin was exposed to the cool winter air, but within seconds it was replaced by fiery heat as he gently kissed her breasts. The fire inside her was burning hotter than any forge, all her insides screaming for his touch. It was like nothing Tauriel had ever experienced, but it felt so _right_, and when Kíli pressed himself closer against her she knew that he felt just like her.

She moved her hands underneath his shirt, sensing his muscles moving beneath her fingers as he gave in to her pulling him closer. She raised her head a little and brought her lips up to his ear.

"We can't escape that war. And if we die tomorrow, we die. But first we'll live."

"But first we'll live," Kíli repeated softly.

She could feel the cool breeze on her skin for a moment, before the warmth of Kíli's body against hers took her breath away. She saw love and trust in his dark eyes as he moved closer, and she welcomed him inside of her as he found the source of the heat that made her heart explode. They moved together, and nothing mattered, not the quarrels of their people, not the cold or the moon or the stars. She could taste the thin sheen of sweat on his skin when she kissed the side of his neck, and she bit her lip in delight when he responded with a low, guttural sound as she ran a hand down his back. It was passionate and somehow primeval, but at the same time intimate and tender. Pure bliss it was, and Tauriel gave herself over to the rhythm of their two bodies entwined beneath the starlit sky, surrendering to the nothingness as the world around her fell away.

_We should go to sleep now, you should stay the night_

_I'll be up to watch the world around us live and die_

Somewhere the sun was already rising, but in the forest the light was still dim. The trees were mere silhouettes wrapped in grey, and the stars above were still blinking palely, as if they weren't ready yet to surrender to dawn.

Tauriel was curled against Kíli, both of them wrapped in his large coat, and he was stroking her arm with a smile on his face. His eyes were closed, his features relaxed, making Tauriel think that it was probably the closest he had gotten to rest in weeks. She, too, felt a bit of the weight that had dragged her down finally leaving her. It seemed as if the world itself had slowed down around them.

"Is it a dream?" Kíli suddenly wondered, opening his eyes and gazing upwards to the stars. "Part of me thinks it's a dream."

"Then we have the same dream," said Tauriel, smiling almost shyly at the young dwarf. "I only hope that I'll remember it when I wake up."

"I will always remember it," Kíli mumbled. "Everything. I will keep the memories in me. That's what dreams should always be, right?"

He spoke softly, but Tauriel felt cold all of a sudden. The reality of their bond came back with full force. There would never be another night like this. Even if they both survived the war that was about to come, there was no way for them to be together. They had known it all the time, but they had desperately denied it in their dream. For that was what it would always be. A dream.

A ray of light tickled her nose. The winter sun fought its way through the trees, relentlessly announcing the break of dawn. A horn sounded in the distance, and Tauriel shivered. Kíli had heard it, too, and eyed her questioningly.

"That was an elven horn," he stated.

"Yes."

They knew what it meant. Silently they got to their feet, slowly rearranging their clothes and gathering their weapons. They were stalling, Tauriel understood, trying in vain to prevent the inevitable.

They had said goodbye before. But this was different.

Kíli stood before her, a turmoil of emotions playing on his face, and Tauriel felt like she couldn't breathe. Simultaneously they stepped forwards, and then Kíli's arms were around her, pulling her close once again just like he had done beneath the stars.

She could feel her eyes prickling, and the wetness against her cheek that told her that she needn't be ashamed of these tears. This was a last goodbye, she understood with shocking clarity. One last time.

"Remember me," she whispered hoarsely, and Kíli nodded against the crook of her neck.

"How could I ever forget you? You saved me. You saved me so many times. I just wish I could stay and keep this dream in me."

Her throat was dry as her mouth crushed against his, kissing him with the despair of those who knew that their story was coming to an end. He kissed her back, one hand around her waist, the other on her neck, and so they stood, their arms wrapped around each other, holding on to each other until the horn sounded a second time in the distance.

None of them spoke. There were no more words to say, no more promises to make.

With trembling shoulders Tauriel turned around, blinking against the sun and listening to the light footsteps going quieter behind her, while her own feet mechanically found their way back to the tents. The road hadn't seemed so long when she had first walked it. When she reached the tents of the elves and men she hoped to go unnoticed by everyone and mingle in the crowd unseen. There were whispers around her, hushed voices and quiet conversations. She tried to shut them out, but then a word reached her ears. A shiver ran down her spine when she understood the meaning of the whispers.

The Arkenstone.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her shoulder. She cried out as she was brutally pulled around, then froze as she stared right into the cold eyes of her king.

"How dare you betray my trust like that?" he hissed, digging his fingers into her shoulder. "How dare you betray your kin? This is treason, Tauriel."

"What are you –"

"Shut up! Don't take me for a fool, for I am none. You betrayed me, Tauriel, for a dwarf!"

He roared the last word, and Tauriel fell against the cold ground when Thranduil pushed her away. She gasped, and from the corner of her eyes she saw Legolas, horror washing over his handsome face. Thranduil was looming above her, fury and hate mirrored in his piercing blue eyes. When he spoke his voice was like ice.

"There will be consequences. I would have you imprisoned immediately if you weren't the best warrior of my guard. But know this: when we meet the dwarves in battle, and I see you hesitate for just one blink of an eye..."

He left the warning unspoken, but it was enough to make Tauriel feel sick.

"Maybe it won't come to this, father," Legolas spoke suddenly. He glanced shortly at Tauriel, but then set his eyes on the king. "Maybe we can stop this madness after all."

"The Arkenstone, yes," Thranduil said slowly. "It was good fortune that brought the jewel into our hands. Thorin Oakenshield will be raging, I'm sure. Now all that matters is how much the stone is worth to him. I for myself know that I wouldn't want to be stuck inside that mountain with him once he finds out he has been betrayed."

The king and prince seemed to have forgotten about Tauriel. She was still on the ground, hurting limbs reminding her of what had just happened, but the pain was nothing compared to the fear that took hold of her heart. Kíli's words echoed in her ears, about Thorin's madness, about him hurting his kin, and the sheer thought of how he would react should he find out about his nephew's absence during the night made her choke.

What have we done?, she asked herself desperately, trying in vain to not cry in front of the elves around her. By the Valar, what have we done?

_Now that we are close to death and close to finding truth_

_We might fall_

_We might fall_

_We might fall_

* * *

A/N 1: Kíli's speech about that night being a dream was inspired by another wonderful song by Ryan Star, "Losing your memory"._ Remember the days, this is what dreams should always be. I just want to stay, I just want to keep this dream in me._

A/N 2: Any GoT fans here? Tauriel's "If we die, we die. But first we'll live." is a quote from George Martin's "A Storm of Swords". _"You're mine," she whispered. "Mine, as I'm yours. And if we die, we die. All men must die, Jon Snow. But first, we'll live."_ (Ygritte to Jon)

A/N 3: The title is a line from a song by - tadaaa- Bryan Adams, "Before the night is over".

A/N 4: So this was my version of the events that lead to Tauriel being pushed to the ground by Thranduil as seen in the trailer. What do you think?


End file.
